him, but then slid free and she stepped back. “I’ll be fine. Go see where you stand. At the worst of it, he will just toss us out, so I suppose the opportunity to bathe and have a cup of tea would be nice in the meantime.”
He wasn’t sure where he stood either, so while Charles wanted to promise that ejection from the premises wasn’t imminent, he couldn’t swear to it. Compared to Lucien he was the scapegrace son and his elopement was hardly going improve matters.
“I’ll be back as soon as possible,” he said quietly. “Do not worry, for however this turns out, we will have each other, and that is the vow we made when we embarked on this journey.”
That said, he left the room and found Mandrake still in the main hall. He asked for a maid, hot water, and a tea cart to be sent upstairs, and then went down the long hallway that led to both the back terrace and the conservatory.
His father, of course, was among his cyclamens, the plants brought back from a trip to Greece and carefully cultivated despite that they didn’t usually grow in rainy England, either due to temperature or soil. Charles wasn’t sure which. What he did know was that his father had deciphered the problem because the delicate flowers were beautiful. He cleared his throat as a means of announcing his presence.
Wearing the apron he used in the greenhouse, his father didn’t even glance up. “Yes, Mandrake, what is it?”
“
It
happens to be me.”
The sound of his voice brought his father’s head around, and the cold stare leveled in his direction was not precisely welcoming. “Ah, I see you are back from your misadventure.”
After all, he’d braced himself for the disapproval. “That is not how I would refer to my marriage.”
“I should hope not, or you are less intelligent than I thought, and I would hope I would never have bred a stupid son.”
That stung, but then again to a certain extent, he deserved it.
He
did. Louisa didn’t. “I didn’t tell you about Louisa because I was sure you wouldn’t approve and would object to us seeing each other.”
“That is absolutely correct. You see, you are not stupid after all. A relief.”
Charles set his jaw. “Your sarcasm, sir, is not appreciated.”
“Your disrespect was not appreciated either.” His father snapped back, setting aside a trowel he’d been using to delicately adjust the soil around his beloved plants. It clattered on the bench, the sound loud in the otherwise serene surroundings.
It wasn’t like the confrontation was a particular surprise. Charles took in a breath. “I love her.”
“Perhaps you think you do. But you were not the one who had to explain the circumstances to Sir Edwin, nor were you the one to face a wrathful vicar over his daughter’s abduction.”
“I hardly abducted her.”
“Did you or did you not take a young woman to Scotland?”
“I did.”
“And wed her without her father’s permission?”
“Yes, but she was willing.”
“Was she?”
“You know me better than that, Father.”
It took a moment, but his father nodded grudgingly. “If I didn’t have influence, you might be having this conversation with a magistrate. The vicar referred to you as that ‘profligate rogue and vile seducer.’ I came to your defense, though I am not sure you deserve it.”
There was an implied question in that statement. “I did
not
seduce her beforehand. And of course she was willing.” Charles found the fecund scent of damp dirt stifling and made a frustrated gesture with his hand. “Ask her. She’s upstairs now. Petrified you will shun her since she isn’t handpicked by you to be my wife, but my own choice.”
“If you are referring to your engagement to Vivian, I think you need to keep in mind that her father and I merely suggested it. You were not bludgeoned into accepting. The two of you are quite fond of each other, or so I’ve always thought. I doubt she is very fond of you right now, but luckily, she is a lady
He wasn’t sure where he stood either, so while Charles wanted to promise that ejection from the premises wasn’t imminent, he couldn’t swear to it. Compared to Lucien he was the scapegrace son and his elopement was hardly going improve matters.
“I’ll be back as soon as possible,” he said quietly. “Do not worry, for however this turns out, we will have each other, and that is the vow we made when we embarked on this journey.”
That said, he left the room and found Mandrake still in the main hall. He asked for a maid, hot water, and a tea cart to be sent upstairs, and then went down the long hallway that led to both the back terrace and the conservatory.
His father, of course, was among his cyclamens, the plants brought back from a trip to Greece and carefully cultivated despite that they didn’t usually grow in rainy England, either due to temperature or soil. Charles wasn’t sure which. What he did know was that his father had deciphered the problem because the delicate flowers were beautiful. He cleared his throat as a means of announcing his presence.
Wearing the apron he used in the greenhouse, his father didn’t even glance up. “Yes, Mandrake, what is it?”
“
It
happens to be me.”
The sound of his voice brought his father’s head around, and the cold stare leveled in his direction was not precisely welcoming. “Ah, I see you are back from your misadventure.”
After all, he’d braced himself for the disapproval. “That is not how I would refer to my marriage.”
“I should hope not, or you are less intelligent than I thought, and I would hope I would never have bred a stupid son.”
That stung, but then again to a certain extent, he deserved it.
He
did. Louisa didn’t. “I didn’t tell you about Louisa because I was sure you wouldn’t approve and would object to us seeing each other.”
“That is absolutely correct. You see, you are not stupid after all. A relief.”
Charles set his jaw. “Your sarcasm, sir, is not appreciated.”
“Your disrespect was not appreciated either.” His father snapped back, setting aside a trowel he’d been using to delicately adjust the soil around his beloved plants. It clattered on the bench, the sound loud in the otherwise serene surroundings.
It wasn’t like the confrontation was a particular surprise. Charles took in a breath. “I love her.”
“Perhaps you think you do. But you were not the one who had to explain the circumstances to Sir Edwin, nor were you the one to face a wrathful vicar over his daughter’s abduction.”
“I hardly abducted her.”
“Did you or did you not take a young woman to Scotland?”
“I did.”
“And wed her without her father’s permission?”
“Yes, but she was willing.”
“Was she?”
“You know me better than that, Father.”
It took a moment, but his father nodded grudgingly. “If I didn’t have influence, you might be having this conversation with a magistrate. The vicar referred to you as that ‘profligate rogue and vile seducer.’ I came to your defense, though I am not sure you deserve it.”
There was an implied question in that statement. “I did
not
seduce her beforehand. And of course she was willing.” Charles found the fecund scent of damp dirt stifling and made a frustrated gesture with his hand. “Ask her. She’s upstairs now. Petrified you will shun her since she isn’t handpicked by you to be my wife, but my own choice.”
“If you are referring to your engagement to Vivian, I think you need to keep in mind that her father and I merely suggested it. You were not bludgeoned into accepting. The two of you are quite fond of each other, or so I’ve always thought. I doubt she is very fond of you right now, but luckily, she is a lady
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